Friday, July 25, 2008

It's been on a week vacation, but it's back. Remember that I've lowered the amount of games from ten per week to five.

As always:

The first ninety games are in NO particular order. For someone with OCD, compiling a list of 100 games in order would drive me absolutely crazy. There's a good mix of titles from multiple consoles, developers, and genres. Hope you leave this list with some fuzzy memories and good times.

- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)

Samus is Primed for Adventure

The Prime trilogy is either disliked or extremely applauded by fans of the series. Some think it's all atmosphere and nothing else. Well, I disagree with that camp. The climax to the Metroid Prime series has Samus taking on a plethora of new creatures in four different worlds/areas of space. Read my review written weeks after its late August release to see why Metroid Prime 3 is an excellent ending to the Prime legacy.

- Mega Man Anniversary Collection (PS2, GCN, XBX)

Mega Man Mania

I'm cheating here, but if The Orange Box can be listed on Gamerankings as one title-- even though it's a collection of games, then dammit, so can I! Mega Man Anniversary Collection is best played on the Playstation 2 due to the fact that the Gamecube version does not have remixed tracks in-game and it's jump and shoot buttons are reversed making for some confusing gameplay.

MMAC featured ten-- count 'em-- ten Mega Man games in one package for $30. You had Mega Man 1-8 (8 was the PS1 version-- not the Saturn) as well as Mega Man: The Power Fighters 1 and 2. Each game featured a wide variety of remixed tracks as well as the ability to play with a new HUD and either easy or normal difficulty. I'm a huge Mega Man nut even though up until I played MMAC I hadn't played any Mega Man games after Mega Man 2. This collection saved me the cost and burden of chasing down all the original NES carts. Thank you, Capcom, for this excellent collection!

- Breath of Fire (SNES, GBA)

Otherwise Known As Heartburn

Breath of Fire was one of the first RPGs I ever enjoyed as a child. It had everything-- huge dragons and the ability to turn into them, eight party members to select from, multiple locales ranging from countryside towns to the depths of the ocean, a well-composed score, and a fun if albeit simple combat system. Breath of Fire has only seen one rerelease and that was for the Game Boy Advance. Since its inception, four other Breath of Fire sequels have released-- the most recent one being on the PS2. Here's hoping that the fire will still burn for future releases (and maybe remakes).

- Breath of Fire II (SNES, GBA)

The Fire Burns Again

Breath of Fire II came out in North American territories in 1995. The story was a little darker as there was a religious cult involved under the guise of St. Eva. The combat system was mostly unchanged, and per usual you could have four party members in a battle. The characters ranged from a tiger woman named Katt to a flower creature named Spar. You got a little more in-depth with each character unlike the original. And like BoF, each character had an ability that they could outside of battle exclusive to them such as Rand's rolling ability or Bow's archery. I realize that Breath of Fire II is not the best RPG of all time, but it's one that I remember fondly playing as a kid. I still enjoy popping in the SNES or GBA cart and starting anew.

- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (SNES)

Heroes in a Halfshell

Any game that you can beat in less than an hour shouldn't be one of your favorite games of all time-- NOT! Turtles in Time was and still is my favorite 2-D beat 'em up period. I have fond memories of playing this at the local arcade, investing five dollars worth of quarters just to take down Shredder. I also have some great memories of tackling the SNES version with my brother. The Turtles, Shredder, Krang, the Rat King, Baxter Stockman, Slash, Bebop, and Rocksteady-- the list of cameos and boss battles were just awesome. It was definitely one shell of a time.

With the announcement of Mega Man 9, the Mega Man Network is reminiscing past Mega Man titles. This time they're taking a look back at one of the most popular entries in the series, Mega Man 2.If you can't load the video, click the headline title and try again.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Gamekyo posted:Sega has confirmed the game : "Sonic returns to the Wii on a wild ride through a storybook world of Arthurian legend in his brand new adventure, Sonic and the Black Knight. Designed exclusively for the Wii, Sonic and the Black Knight brings a new twist to Sonic gameplay by combining Sonic's legendary speed with frenetic swordplay action that makes full use of the unique Wii control system. In this strange, enchanted medieval world, Sonic wields a sword in his effort to save the day. Encountering many friends and foes along the way, Sonic shows them what it takes to be a true hero and the ultimate knight. Master the sword and unravel the mystery behind this intriguing adventure…". The game should be released during Spring 2009.

Nintendo Power wrote:- Developed by the same people as Sonic and the Secret Rings

- "This time, a sorceress named Merlina summons Sonic to the mythical realm of King Arthur, but it seems the fabled monarch has somehow been corrupted and now rules the land as the tyranical Black Knight."

- Uses a similar storybook device as Sonic and the Secret Rings

- "As Sonic runs along, a simple flick of the Wii remote will execute a basic slash, which is enough to dispatch most low-level grunts."

- More advanced swordplay consists of the ability to thrust, parry, and even pull off a buzz-saw maneuver midjump.

- "During our demo, we saw the hedgehog leap from a high precipice, then thrust the blade into a wall to slow his decent, sparks flying impressivly as steel cut through brick."

- "Combat is integrated in such a way that most of the time you can slice through any who stand in your path without even slowing down."

- Sonic is controlled with the Control Stick.

- "Our hero begins his quest as a mere knave. Only by becoming a full-fledged knight will he have any hope of defeating King Arthur."

- "his sword, a talking blade named Calibur, serves as a mentor."

- "If you help civilian townfolk in need of assistance, you’ll earn points toward knighthood. If you smite one of those civilians, your reputation will take a hit."

- "At the end of each stage, the game tallies your good and not-so-good deeds and updates your rank accordingly."

- "Sonic can aquire everything from gauntlets to magical tomes to new swords, and when equipped, each article bestows him with a unique benefit."

-Sonic uses magic elementals to help him do various things, such as a bounce pad or a speed boost. They look like chao heads. The red ones give him a jump and the blue give Sonic a speed boost.

- About 200 items in all, with some being able to be combined with others to make new ones.

- You have the option to go online and trade items with friends.

- Rings come in burlap sacks instead of monitors.

- SBK Bringing back the skill system from Secret Rings, but they’re trying not to have the skill system interfere with the game’s tempo this time around.

- The mission structure also returns but the developers hope to make it less arduous.

- "Each stage has multiple branching paths and searching for townsfolk and treasure chests provides an element of exploration that recalls Sonic's early Genesis days."

- "The camera will occasionally pan to a side-scrolling perspective for a quick dose of classic 2-D action."

- "And there will be no dinosaur eggs!"

- ”When people see that Sonic is wielding a sword, they’ll probably have certain expectations of the multiplayer mode. And all I can say is that we’re thinking along those same lines.”

- "Just as they subbed in for such characters as Ali Baba and Aladdin in Sonic and the Secret Rings, a number of familiar faces will assume Arthurian personas in SBK."

- "This time, however, some of Sonic's friends will be playable. Each hero will boast unique abilities, and though the team isn't ready to divulge the full cast just yet, we do know the identities of two playable comrades: Knuckles, who brandishes two swords at once, and Shadow."

- Playing as these other characters is entirely optional. You will be able to play through game as Sonic, or switch to the other characters if you choose.

- "While the old guages from Secret Rings are gone, a new special guage will “bestow him with similarly impressive powers. The meter fills gradually whenever Sonic vanquishes an enemy or snags a purple elemental, and when it reaches a certain point you can unleash a powerful combination attack capable of tearing through multiple foes in quick succession. You simply press the B button to lock onto the nearest enemy, flick the remote to strike him down, then press B again to move onto the next unfortunate soul. If you chain together enough smitings before the guage is depleted, Sonic will receive a speed burst at the end of the string."

- "the team behind Sonic and the Black Knight is keenly aware of the franchise's past missteps, and their enthusiasm for doing right by the series is infections."

Sunday, July 20, 2008

...And hilarious. I don't think you need to appreciate the show Home Movies to find the following two clips funny, but at the same time it doesn't hurt. Both feature one of my (along with almost everyone else's) favorite characters, Coach McGuirk. The setup is all within the clips, so no additional information from me is needed. Enjoy.